Water motor with partial circle pattern

ABSTRACT

An improved water motor for automatic sprinkling systems provides a selected sprinkling pattern which is reversed 180* upon reversal of the direction of water motor rotation. Thus a section of ground immediately in front of each driving motor of the sprinkling system is left dry until the drive means passes. To this end, a rotatable sleeve valve disposed within the water motor defines manifold means which allows water to pass from the water motor nozzles only during selected arcuate portions of rotation thereof. The reversal of the direction of water rotation automatically rotates the sleeve valve 180* to reverse the direction of the sprinkling pattern. Further, the improved water motor may be readily disposed with the output shaft from the motor extending through the pipeline in selected configuration, to allow preferred location of the water motor at a selected height above the pipeline and thus at an optimum height above the ground level.

United States Patent 1191 Cornelius WATER MOTOR WITH PARTIAL CIRCLEPATTERN [75] Inventor: Gail Cornelius, Portland, Oreg.

- [73] Assignee: R. M. Wade 8: Co., Portland, Oreg.

[22] Filed: June 16,197]

[21] Appl. No.: 153,518

[52] US. Cl ..239/2l2, 239/D1G.1, 239/97, 239/191, 239/255 [51] Int. Cl...A01g 25/02, B05b 3/06, B05b 3/18 [58] Field of Search ..239/D1G. l,177, 239/212, 213, 97, 98,191,236, 255, 397, 442, 443, 451

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 111 3,729,141 1 51 Apr. 24,1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 243,918 3/1963 Australia ..239/2l2684,987 11/1939 Germany ..239/255 Primary ExaminerRobert S. Ward, Jr.Attorney-Charles M. Fryer et a1.

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT An improved water motor for automatic sprinkling systemsprovides a selectedsprinkling pattern which is reversed 180 uponreversal of the direction of water motor rotation. Thus a section ofground immediately in front of each driving motor of the sprinklingsystem is left dry until the drive means passes. To this end, arotatable sleeve valve disposed within the water motor defines manifoldmeans which allows water to pass from the water motor nozzles onlyduring selected arcuate portions of rotation thereof. The reversal ofthe direction of water rotation automatically rotates the sleeve valve180 to reverse the direction of the sprinkling pattern. Further, theimproved water motor may be readily disposed with the output shaft fromthe motor extending through the pipeline in selected configuration, toallow preferred location of the water motor at a selected height abovethe pipeline and thus at an optimum height above the ground level.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures WATER MOTOR WITII PARTIAL CIRCLE PATTERNBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field i The invention relates toautomatic sprinkler systems and particularly. to an improved water motorfor generating a selected rparftial circle water pattern which isautomatically reversible in response to the water motor direction ofrotation.

1 and which are adapted to direct the sprinkler water to the rear of theline of pipe; i.e., which generate a sprinkling pattern only to the rearof the sprinkler system pipeline. However, when employing the watermotors of previous mention to propel the pipeline, the motor will throwwater to the front of the tower even if the sprinklers do not. Inaddition, upon reversal of the water motor as, for example, in reversingthe direction of travel of the pipeline across the field, there is noprovision on the prior art water motors for reversing the direction ofthe sprinkling pattern; i.e., no apparatus which reverses the directionin which the water is sprinkled such that it is always directed to therear of the pipeline regardless of .the pipeline direction of movement.Thus in prior art sprinkling systems,

, reversing the direction of the pipeline travel causes water to besprinkled ahead of the associated water towers from the water motors andthe motors must be all manually adjusted to correct the sprinklingpattern.

Additionally, when water powered sprinkling systems are used in fieldsof tall growing plants, such as corn, it is desirable toposition thepattern generating water motors at as high a level as possible in orderto prevent the motor arms from tangling in the plants. According y, themotor is adaptable for location above the irrigation pipeline, withinthe frame 'of the water tower.

The height to which the motor can be raised is thus limited only by theA-frame structure of the tower, not

the height of the pipeline. Locating the water motor directly over thepipe, with the drive shaft extending through the pipeline in accordancewith the invention, allows the motor to be raised to its maximum heightwithin the A-frame structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION passageways which define manifold means forblocking the passage of pressurized water through the water arms/nozzlesas they rotate through a selected angle extending forwardly of therespective water towers. When the direction of the water motor rotationis reversed (generally by swivelling the arms/nozzles through 180) thefriction between the sleeve valve and the water motor spinnerautomatically reverses the water pattern direction Further the inventioncombination contemplates a sealed sleeve means disposed through thepipeline to define a shaft supporting means, whereby the water motor maybe located at a maximum height within the water tower structure. Thedrive shaft from the improved water motor extends accordingly throughthe pipeline to the gear drive mechanism of the water tower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective of one supporttower of the usual plurality of water towers in an automatic sprinklingsystem showing a section of the sprinkler pipeline and a respectivewater motor of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the apparatus for generating apartial-circle sprinkling pattern in accordance with the inventioncombination.

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along section line 3-3 of FIG. 2. I I

' FIG. 4 is a cross section of the means for elevating the water motorto its maximum height above the pipeline.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, there isshown by way of example, a support tower l2 and a corresponding sectionof a pipeline 14 of an automatic sprinkling apparatus 10, such asdescribed for example in the copending U.S. applications Ser. No.805,664 filed Mar. 10, 1969 and Ser. No. 27,226 filed Apr. 10, 1970,said applications being assigned to the same assignee as thisapplication.

The support-tower 12 includes an -A-frame l6, supported upon a pair ofwheels 18 each having its own pivotable, wheel-supporting, fork 20. Asdepicted, each support tower 12 is propelled by a respective water motor22, the output of which is coupled to the wheels 18 via an output driveshaft 24 and gear train means 26, such as those described in the abovementioned copending U.S. applications, but adapted as in accordance withthe invention. The A-frame 16 includes a horizontal, pipe supporting,cross member 28 and a horizontal, water motor supporting, cross member30, for supporting the pipeline l4 and the water motor 22, respectively.

The water motor 22 includes a water spinner 32 and a water motordirection reversing means 34 integrally disposed therewith, of the typedescribed for example in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 96,008filed Dec. 8, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,373 said application alsobeing assigned to the same assignee as this application. The spinner 32is rotatably supported by the water motor supporting cross member 30,and is rotatably coupled at the upper end thereof to a source ofpressurized water introduced to the motor 22 via a conduit 36 whichextends from the, pipeline 14 along portions of the A-frame 16, to thepipeline 14.

The water motor 22 is coupled at the lower end of the spinner 32 to theoutput shaft 24, which extends downwardly through the pipeline 14 via ashaft supporting means 38 in accordance with the invention. By way ofexample only, the sprinkling pattern generated by the partial-circle,pattern generating means of the water motor 22, is depicted by shadingin FIG. 1 and by the numeral 40, illustrating the manner in which theimproved water motor 22 of the invention provides a dry sectionimmediately before the support tower 12. The spinner 32 is thus adaptedto include the partial circle, pattern generating means (FIGS. 2 and 3)which is automatically reversed to reverse the direction of thesprinkling pattern relative to the direction in which the sprinklingsystem moves, upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the watermotor 22.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown the means for generating thepartial circle sprinkling pattern; i.e., for providing a selected watermotor sprinkling pattern to define a dry section immediately in front ofthe respective tower, in accordance with the invention. The direction ofthe sprinkling pattern is automatically reversed when the water motordirection of rotation is reversed, whereby the dry section is againdisposed in front of the support tower when it proceeds in the oppositedirection.

To this end, the water spinner 32 includes a water spinner housing 42with bores 44, 46 and 48, 50 (FIG. 3) formed in opposite walls thereof,wherein opposing pairs of water arms 52, 54 and 56, 58 are affixed tothe spinner in register with respective bores. Note although four waterarms (and integral nozzles, not shown) are illustrated here, any othernumber of arms may be used with the pattern generating mechanism of theinvention.

The drive shaft 24 is demountably coupled, in this example, to thespinner housing 42 via a flared bell portion 60, which is tightly fittedwithin the housing and pinned with a pin 62, or may be threadablyconnected and pinned, welded, etc. A cylindrical, water directing,sleeve valve 64 is rotatably disposed within the spinner housing 42 andextends coaxially through a central opening 66 in the flanged top end ofthe housing 42. A bore 68 is coaxially formed along most of the lengthof the sleeve valve 64, and a 180 radially extending arcuate slot 72 isformed through the side wall of the valve in communication with the bore68, to provide manifold means for selectively directing water to amaximum of three of the four water arms 52-58 at any one time. Thus asthe housing 42 and associated water arms 52-58 rotate relative to thesleeve valve 64, the water arm (or arms) which is temporarily not incommunication with the arcuate slot 72 has water blocked therefrom andtherefore does not eject any water.

The sleeve valve 64 is provided with circumferentially extending sealmeans 74, 76 disposed in associated grooves axially spaced at eitherside of the bores 44-50. The upper end of the sleeve valve 64 isprovided with a rotatable arcuate stop 78. The arcuate stop 78 extendsthrough one quadrant of the sleeve valve rotation, and abuts an arcuatefixed stop 80, which also extends through one quadrant. The stop 80 isformed on the end of a cylindrical support member 82 which is rigidlysecured as by welding to the water motor supporting cross member 30(FIG. 1) in register with a hole therethrough. A flanged cylinder 84 isrigidly secured to the cylindrical support member 82, with the flangedend confronting a support ring 86 welded concentrically about the upperend of the sleeve valve 64.

The arcuate stop 78 is coextensively secured to, or formed of, thesupport ring 86. A valve seal 88 is confined between the confrontingsurfaces of the flanged cylinder 84 and the support ring 86. Pressurizedwater is supplied to the water spinner 32 via the conduit 36 which maybe welded to the cross member 30 in register with the cylindricalsupport member 82, or which may be demountably coupled thereto viasuitable connector means (not shown).

In operation, when the water motor direction is reversed, the frictionforce exerted on the sleeve valve 64 is sufflcient to cause it to rotatefor at least a part of a circle with the water spinner 32, relative tothe flanged cylinder 84 and the cylindrical support member 82. Thus thesleeve valve 64 rotates until the (rotatable) arcuate stop 78 meets the(fixed) arcuate stop 80. The stop is oriented relative to the supporttower to provide the dry section of the sprinkling pattern along aselected direction of tower travel, viz, to the front of the tower. Whenthe motor is reversed, the sleeve valve 64 is rotated through 180 viafriction with the housing 42, until the opposite ends of the stops 78,80 meet, thus rotating the arcuate slot 72 through 180 to automaticallyreverse the sprinkling pattern direction.

Note that the length of the arcuate slot 72 may be increased ordecreased from the 180 cross section shown in FIG. 3, to provide acorrespondingly narrower or wider dry section within the sprinklingpattern, to adapt the sleeve valve 64 to a water motor configurationhaving for example only one, two, etc. arms, or to provide any desiredpartial-circle pattern.

In prior art self-prlpelled irrigation systems, the water motors areplaced below the pipe means 14. However it is most usually desirable toplace the water motor as high as possible so that the motor arms willnot become entangled with the growing crop.

If the water motor 22 is raised by offsetting to the side to allow thedrive shaft 24 thereof to extend downwardly. alongside (rather thanthrough) the pipeline 14, the rotatable arms thereof would contact oneside of the A-frame 16 at a relatively low height above the pipeline. Toallow the disposition of the water motor at the maximum levelimmediately above the pipeline, the invention includes a shaftsupporting means 38 disposed in sealed relation through the pipeline 14at each water motor position, whereby the drive shaft 24 may extenddownwardly through, rather than alongside or below, the pipeline,whereby the motor may be raised to a maximum height.

To this end, referring to FIG. 4, the shaft supporting means 38 forrotatably supporting the water motor above the pipeline 14, is shown incross section. A sleeve 90 having an internal diameter substantiallylarger than the diameter of the drive shaft 24, is welded at either endthereof to diametrically opposed holes 92, 94 in the pipeline 14. Thewater motor 22 is disposed above the pipeline (FIG. 1) and the driveshaft 24 therefrom extends downwardly through the sleeve 90, and througha hole in the pipe supporting cross member 28. A bushing 96 is securedwithin the sleeve 90 to reduce chattering" etc., of the shaft 24 as itrotates within the sleeve 90. The central disposition of the water motor22, shaft 24, etc., allows the motor to be raised to its maximum heightwithin the given height of the A-frame 16 in accordance with theinvention combination.

What is claimed is: 1. An improved water motor for propelling the watertowers of sprinkling apparatuses, wherein a source of pressurized wateris connected to said water motor, the

improvement comprising: a motor body including a rotatable spinner, atleast one water arm and associated nozzle extending radially from therotatable spinner and affixed thereto, valve means integral within therotatable spinner and automatically responsive to the direction ofrotation thereof, said valve means including manifold means fordelivering water to but a portion of the circumference of said spinnerat any one instance for generating a selected water pattern defining adry section immediately in front of the respective water tower.

-2. The improved water motor of claim 1 wherein said valve meanscomprises a cylindrical sleeve valve including therein said manifoldmeans, for impeding the radial slot formed therethrough in communicationwith the coaxial bore at its inlet and in register with selectedsuccessive water arms at its outlet, support means for rotatablysupporting the cylindrical sleeve valve within the spinner, and stopmeans integral with the support means and the sleeve valve to limit theangular rotation of the sleeve valve with respect to the support means,

said sleeve valve being rotatable through a limited arc in response tofriction between it and thewater motor spinner.

4. The improved water motor of claim 3 wherein said radial slot has anarcuate length disposed in register with at least one water arm andintegral nozzle to define the selected sprinkling pattern.

5, The improved water motor of claim 4 wherein said radial slot has anarcuate length disposed in register with a plurality of said water armsand integral nozzles to define the selected sprinkling pattern. 7

6. The improved water motor of claim 1 further including, meansassociated with said improved water motor for selectively positioningthe water motor in rotatable relation above the pipeline at each towerlocation.

7. An improved water motor for propelling the water towers ofmoving-while-sprinklin g apparatuses wherein a source of pressurizedwater is connected to said water motor, the improvement comprising: amotor body including a rotatable spinner with at least one water arm andnozzle extending radially from the spinner, valve means within therotatable spinner including manifold means for delivering water to but aportion of the circumference of said spinner at any one instance forgenerating a selected water pattern defining a dry section immediatelyin front of the respective water tower, and means for selectivelypositioning said water motor including sleeve means disposed in sealedrelation through the pipeline for rotatably positioning the water motora selected height above and in line with the pipeline.

1. An improved water motor for propelling the water towers of sprinklingapparatuses, wherein a source of pressurized water is connected to saidwater motor, the improvement comprising: a motor body including arotatable spinner, at least one water arm and associated nozzleextending radially from the rotatable spinner and affixed thereto, valvemeans integral within the rotatable spinner and automatically responsiveto the direction of rotation thereof, said valve means includingmanifold means for delivering water to but a portion of thecircumference of said spinner at any one instance for generating aselected water pattern defining a dry section immediately in front ofthe respective water tower.
 2. The improved water motor of claim 1wherein said valve means comprises a cylindrical sleeve valve includingtherein said manifold means, for impeding the flow of water to theassociated water arms and integral nozzles during a selected angularportion of the water motor rotation.
 3. The improved wateR motor ofclaim 2 wherein the cylindrical sleeve valve is rotatably disposedconcentrically within the water motor spinner in sealed relation, andthe manifold means includes a coaxially extending bore in communicationwith the pressurized water, a radial slot formed therethrough incommunication with the coaxial bore at its inlet and in register withselected successive water arms at its outlet, support means forrotatably supporting the cylindrical sleeve valve within the spinner,and stop means integral with the support means and the sleeve valve tolimit the angular rotation of the sleeve valve with respect to thesupport means, said sleeve valve being rotatable through a limited arcin response to friction between it and the water motor spinner.
 4. Theimproved water motor of claim 3 wherein said radial slot has an arcuatelength disposed in register with at least one water arm and integralnozzle to define the selected sprinkling pattern.
 5. The improved watermotor of claim 4 wherein said radial slot has an arcuate length disposedin register with a plurality of said water arms and integral nozzles todefine the selected sprinkling pattern.
 6. The improved water motor ofclaim 1 further including, means associated with said improved watermotor for selectively positioning the water motor in rotatable relationabove the pipeline at each tower location.
 7. An improved water motorfor propelling the water towers of moving-while-sprinkling apparatuseswherein a source of pressurized water is connected to said water motor,the improvement comprising: a motor body including a rotatable spinnerwith at least one water arm and nozzle extending radially from thespinner, valve means within the rotatable spinner including manifoldmeans for delivering water to but a portion of the circumference of saidspinner at any one instance for generating a selected water patterndefining a dry section immediately in front of the respective watertower, and means for selectively positioning said water motor includingsleeve means disposed in sealed relation through the pipeline forrotatably positioning the water motor a selected height above and inline with the pipeline.